“Whatever you’re doing, it’s working. I’ve never seen that boy so determined.” I shook my head in a bashful ‘no,’ denying credit with a mouthful of tea.
“I think it has more to do with him wanting to partner up with you,” I said excitedly.
“Partner up?” He gave me an ‘are you serious’ look. “With Jayden? That’s a laugh.” I froze. I’d started the conversation and clearly it wasn’t my place to mention it. I backtracked quickly.
“Sorry, I must have misunderstood.”
Stephen looked at me suspiciously. “No, I know full well what you are talking about. The fact is the boy’s almost bankrupted me twice in worker’s comp claims.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t follow.” Uncomfortable wasn’t a strong enough word to explain what I was feeling. Our conversation had gone from pleasant to really bad in a matter of seconds. I saw contempt in his eyes when he spoke next.
“That boy has cost me more than he’s made me with his careless mistakes. As much as he’s hurt himself in that last few years, it’s a wonder my doors are still open.”
“But he loves—”
Stephen cut me off with his hand. “Oh, he’s amazing at what he does. And don’t get me wrong, I love that boy like my own. But he hurts himself far too often to take the lead.”
“I shouldn’t have mentioned this. It’s my mistake.” Praying he would get the hint, I stood to grab the corn to take it into his mother.
“I don’t know how he expects me to take him seriously when as hard as he works, everything’s obliterated with his fuck ups.”
“Please don’t speak ill of Jayden in front of me,” I said sharply. “He very much loves his job and has nothing but respect for you. I spoke out of turn, I apologize, but I won’t stand here and listen to you tell me what he can’t do.” I grabbed the corn off the table and walked toward the door as Jayden popped his head out. His mother passed him, grabbing the tray from me from the porch stairs. Jayden pulled me up to meet him on the top step. I felt the unease of my confrontation with his uncle disappear when he cupped my face right in front of his mother and addressed his uncle.
“Unc, have you ever seen a woman so beautiful in your entire life? Because I haven’t.” He searched my eyes and found what he was looking for before leaning in and placing the softest kiss on my lips.
“I believe you have found the one for you, son,” he answered. I didn’t care if the compliment was genuine or not. All I cared about were the blue eyes of the man who held my heart. Jayden pulled me into a hug and over his shoulder I saw his mother dab her eyes before walking back into the house.
After a southern feast of grilled chicken and corn (grilled corn being my new obsession), homemade mac-n-cheese, and potato salad, the guys sat in Mallory’s living room while we sat at the kitchen table swapping recipes for dirt.
“Here’s the mac-n-cheese,” she said, handing me the card straight from her recipe box. I took it with greedy hands as she browsed through, pulling out cards. Her house was small but warm and inviting. Her decorations were outdated, but it did nothing to take away its sweet appeal. It was well lived in and it gave away a lot. I could picture where they put their annual Christmas tree. I could also see the wear and tear on the staircase from years of Jayden treading up and down. I saw a host of Jayden’s mannerisms in his mother as she spoke. It tickled me to no end that she was just as blunt as he was. Absorbing all of this around me, I had to ask her to repeat her question.
“Sorry,” I apologized as I looked at the wall of photos behind her kitchen table. Jayden’s first birthday, Jayden’s first baseball trophy, Jayden’s prom. It was all there, his whole life displayed on a wall.
“I asked if you have family here in South Carolina.”
Wrinkling my nose, I answered, “Too much family, if you ask me. I have three sisters and a brother. I thank the Lord every day we are spread so far apart. We get together once or twice a month for brunch.”
“Big family, that’s refreshing.” I stopped my survey of the wall to look at her.
“It’s great, really. I love them. We are dysfunctionally functional. My father was the sanest of us, but passed last fall. I hate that my mother’s alone.”
“I’m sorry about your father,” she remarked sincerely, finding a new recipe and handing it to me.
“So am I,” I said mournfully. Pushing back the tug in my chest, I spoke up. “I better start writing these down,” I piped, grabbing the stack that was building.
She grabbed my hand and I froze. “No, baby, see I have most of them here,” she said, pointing to her temple, “but it’ll give me a good excuse to call you.”
“Ah,” I said with a chuckle. “Well, honestly, you can do that whenever you want to, but I’ll be taking these for good measure.” We gave each other a knowing grin.
“Jay-bird, darlin’, I really like this one. Don’t piss her off,” Mallory said as we kept our grins.
“Yeah, don’t piss me off,” I agreed as she let go of my hand.
“He can be intense, hard to handle, but he’s worth it, Hilary.”
“I know,” I whispered, suddenly feeling like talking about him was wrong.
“If you need to talk, you can call me.”
I remained silent. I didn’t want to damn myself, but at the same time I had so many questions. She seemed to take my silence with a grain of salt as she went on.
“He was almost eight years old before I realized he was having a hard time. I was always working. Always...working.” I could see the deep sorrow etched in her face and it seemed I saw her age right across the table. “I couldn’t handle him when he was younger. The school counselor blamed his issues on me. They threatened to take him. I was so worried about how to keep him clothed and fed and so exhausted by the time I got to him I didn’t realize ...” she looked down and then straight into my eyes. “What’s done is done. God knows I’ve paid the price for my stupidity and my baby had to, as well. Now that he’s off his meds, I worry.”
She looked at him on the couch as he laughed with his Uncle. “But I can’t do it forever. He’s done so well, and you ...” she paused with a smile, “God, I’ve never seen him like that with anyone.”
I started looking around for a mop because I was sure my heart just exploded.
“There are going to be times you are going to want to give up...but don’t.”
“I won’t and I promised him the same. I don’t see anything wrong with him. He has his quirks, but they are harmless.”
“You’re young, you’re in love,” she warned.
“Very much so,” I said just as Jayden looked our way, seeming to catch on we were talking seriously. I looked down at a recipe, feeling guilty.
“Why won’t he medicate?”
“Oh, honey, that’s a can of worms you do not want to open. Let’s just say if it was available, we’ve tried it.” She looked at me for a second before pulling out the big gun.
“Chicken Casserole.”
I sat up straight in my seat. “YES!” I went to take the card and she snatched it away. When I raised my eyebrow, she answered my question.
“I want three grandbabies,” she commanded, starting the bidding.
“One, and you can watch him whenever you so desire,” I shot back.
“Two, a boy and a girl,” she countered back, the prize well within my grasp.
“One, and if it’s a girl we name her after you,” I said, desperate for that recipe.
“My chicken casserole is worth that!” She laughed, exasperated.
“I only dated him to get the recipe!” I said, laughing with her, “and now I have it!” I let out an evil laugh as she joined me as Jayden walked in the kitchen with a dopey smile.
“What in the hell, women? Mom, banana pudding!”
“Yes, sir!” she said, getting up to grab the dish from the fridge.